Giants ‘Secret Superstar’ Tipped to Be ‘Glue’ for Loaded Pass Rush

There’s no shortage of big names along the front seven for the New York Giants, but it’s a “secret superstar” who can be the “glue” for a loaded pass rush.

It’s not 2025 NFL draft third-overall pick Abdul Carter. Nor is it All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II. It’s not even bookend edge-rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Instead, SB Nation’s Doug Farrar identified unheralded newcomer Chauncey Golston as someone who “could add a a little spice and a lot of glue to a defensive line rotation that’s already overstuffed from a talent perspective.”

Farrar makes a sound argument based on the many ways the Dallas Cowboys used Golston to rush the passer. His versatility can keep Golston relevant in a rotation headlined by Carter, Burns and Thibodeaux, but where depth is as important as quality for a potentially dominant Giants’ front.

Hidden Gem Opens Possibilities for Giants

What Golston has brought to the Giants is an intriguing combination of pass-rush moves and positional flexibility. Those things were summed up by how often the natural edge-rusher spent playing D-tackle for the Cowboys last season.

As Farrar pointed out, Golston “lined up as a defensive tackle on 26% of his snaps last season — that’s where the glue comes in.” One of the 27-year-old’s best reps from the inside was this pressure generated against the Cleveland Browns by No. 99 in Week 1, highlighted by John Owning of Pro Football Focus.

Golston isn’t the only edge capable of collapsing the inside of the pocket for the Giants. They are already planning to unleash Carter in terrifying ways from the inside.

Using Golston in similar ways can allow Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to afford Carter a breather and not lose any of the variety up front. Bowen will also be able to mix and match his roving quarterback hunters.

Putting Carter and Golston inside, bracketed by Burns and Thibodeaux, can provide the Giants a speed-based pressure package few teams would relish trying to block. Another option is to pair Golston with Lawrence and allow Carter to play standup linebacker, a position the rookie often thrived in at Penn State.

Those are just a few of options made possible by Golston within the box of tricks the Giants are packing up front this offseason.

Chauncey Golston Part of Multi-Layered Pass-Rush Plan for Giants

The Giants are building something potentially special in the pass-rush department. Special because of the variety involved.

Golston has been easy to forget since Big Blue took Carter, but the veteran typifies this variety as well as anyone on the depth chart. His interior rush plan offers the more exciting possibilities, because as Farrar put it, I tend to lean toward the underrated multi-gap linemen in my own evaluations, because from Michael Bennett to Denico Autry, I’ve seen what they can do for a defense. Golston could well be That Guy for the 2025 Giants.”

That’s a bold statement, but Golston is also no slouch when he lines up outside, where “he can skirt the edge, swipe hands away, and bring the bull-rush.”

Golston showed off some of his best edge work against the Washington Commanders last season, per Nick Falato of SB Nation’s Big Blue View.

Stacking Golston on one edge, next to either Burns or Thibodeaux, would force teams to slide protection that way and leave Carter or Lawrence one-on-one. Or maybe even unblocked. Burns will also need freeing up to play a different role the Giants tried out only sparingly last season.

Lawrence hardly requires any extra advantage since he’s in a world by himself as a game-wrecker over the ball. He’ll have company, though, in the form of a rookie amoeba who will also engage in the shape shifting up front.

All of the moving parts can create something dominant for the Giants. That something will be led by the star names, but Golston’s talent and diverse skill-set means he won’t be forgotten about.